Stationary bicycle with messager means

ABSTRACT

A stationary bicycle is constructed to have a main body, a seat fixedly provided at the main body for the sitting of a person, a back cushion mounted on the main body adjacent to the seat and adapted to support the back of the person sitting on the seat, a damping unit installed in the main body and adapted to impart a damping resistance against the rotation of a flywheel being installed in the main body and pedaled by the person sitting on the seat, and a messaging mechanism installed in the back cushion and adapted to massage the back of the person sitting on the seat.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invent to a stationary bicycle and, more specifically, to such a stationary bicycle in which the back cushion for supporting the user's back can be alternatively set between a first position to support the user's back with a soft stuffing material, or a second position to massage the user's back with a massaging mechanism.

[0002]FIG. 1 shows a stationary bicycle according to the prior art. This structure of stationary bicycle 1 comprises a main body 2, a seat 3 fixedly mounted on the main body 2 for the sitting of the user, a back cushion 4 obliquely mounted on the main body 2 adjacent to the seat 3 and adapted to support the back of the user sitting on the seat 3, and a damping unit 5 installed in the main body 2 and adapted to impart a damping resistance against the rotation of the flywheel being installed in the main body 2 and pedaled by the user sitting on the seat 3. This structure of stationary bicycle is functional, however, it has drawbacks. When pedaling the stationary bicycle, a pressure is given to the user's back against the back cushion 4, and the muscles of the user's back may ache quickly during exercising.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] It is the main object of the present invention to provide a stationary bicycle, which has massaging means to massage the user's back when exercising. According to one aspect of the present invention, the stationary bicycle of the present invention comprises a main body, a seat fixedly provided at the main body for the sitting of a person, a back cushion mounted on the main body adjacent to the seat and adapted to support the back of the person sitting on the seat, a damping unit installed in the main body and adapted to impart a damping resistance against the rotation of a flywheel being installed in the main body and pedaled by the person sitting on the seat, and a messaging mechanism installed in the back cushion and adapted to massage the back of the person sitting on the seat. The massaging mechanism can be variously embodied. In one embodiment of the present invention, the massaging mechanism comprises two massaging bars with massaging pegs, a motor drive, and a gear transmission mechanism coupled between the motor drive and the massaging bars. Alternatively vibrator means may be used for the massaging mechanism.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0004]FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a stationary bicycle according to the prior art.

[0005]FIG. 2 is an elevational view of a stationary bicycle with massager means according to the present invention.

[0006]FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a part of the stationary bicycle with massager means shown in FIG. 2.

[0007]FIG. 4 is a sectional view in an enlarged scale of a part of FIG. 3.

[0008]FIG. 5 is a plain view showing the structure of the messaging mechanism for the stationary bicycle with massager means according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0009] Referring to FIG. 2, a stationary bicycle 10 is shown comprising a main body 20, a seat 30 provided at a top side of the main body 20 for the sitting of the user, a back cushion 40 mounted on the top side of the main body 20 adjacent to the seat 30 and adapted to support the back of the user sitting on the seat 30, a damping unit 50 installed in the main body 20 and adapted to impart a damping resistance against the rotation of the flywheel (not shown) being pedaled by the user sitting on the seat 30.

[0010] The aforesaid structure is similar to conventional stationary bicycles. The main characteristics of the present invention are outlined hereinafter with reference to FIGS. from 2 through 5. The back cushion 40 comprises a frame base 41 of substantially I-shaped profile, a soft covering 44, a soft stuffing material 45, a massaging mechanism 46, and a mounting structure 60. The frame base 41 comprises a mounting portion 42 and a bearing portion 43. The covering 44 is made of genuine or synthetic leather and covered on the bearing portion 43 of the frame base 41, defining a first enclosed chamber 441 and a second enclosed chamber 442 at two sides of the bearing portion 43. The soft stuffing material 45 is obtained from foamed plastics or the like, and stuffed in the first enclosed chamber 441 inside the covering 44.

[0011] The massaging mechanism 46 is installed in the second enclosed chamber 442, comprising a power drive, for example, a motor 461 having an output shaft 462, a pinion 463 fixedly mounted on the output shaft 462 of the motor 461, two massaging bars 464, the massaging bars 464 each having a plurality of massaging pegs 466 of different lengths raised around the periphery, and two transmission gears 465 respectively fixedly mounted on one end of each of the massaging bars 464 and engaged with the pinion 463. When starting the motor 461, the massaging bars 464 are respectively rotated with the transmission gears 465 to move the massaging pegs 466 over the inside wall of the covering 44 against the back of the user sitting on the seat 30.

[0012] The mounting structure 60 comprises a supporting tube 62 fixedly provided at the top side of the main body 20 adjacent to the seat 30, a lock pin 61, and a pinhole 63 transversely extended through the mounting portion 42 of the frame base 41. The supporting tube 62 comprises an axial receiving hole 621 adapted to receive the mounting portion 42 of the frame base 41, and two radial through holes 622 aligned at two sides of the axial receiving hole 621. The lock pin 61 comprises a shank 611 inserted through the radial through holes 622 of the supporting tube 62 and the pinhole 63 to secure the frame base 41 to the supporting tube 62, and a pull ring 612 coupled to one end of the shank 611 for pulling by hand. After removal of the lock pin 61 from the radial through holes 622 of the supporting tube 62 and the pin hole 63, the back cushion 40 can be rotated in the supporting tube 62 through 180° for supporting the back of the user sitting on the seat 30 with the stuffing material 45 or the massaging mechanism 46.

[0013] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 again, when the user operates the stationary bicycle with the back supported on the covering 44 of the back cushion 40 against the massaging mechanism 46, the user can turn on the motor 461 to rotate the massaging bars 464 to massage the back. If the user does not wish to use the massaging mechanism 46, the user can remove the lock pin 61 from the radial through holes 622 of the supporting tube 62 and the pinhole 63, and then rotate the back cushion 40 in the supporting tube 62 through 1800 for enabling the back to be supported on the covering 44 against the soft the stuffing material 45.

[0014] Different massaging elements, for example, electronic vibrators may be used instead of the aforesaid massaging mechanism 46 to massage the user's back.

[0015] A prototype of stationary bicycle with massager means has been constructed with the features of the annexed drawings. The stationary bicycle with massager means functions smoothly to provide all of the features discussed earlier.

[0016] Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims. 

What the invention claimed is:
 1. A stationary bicycle comprising: a main body having a top side; a seat fixedly provided at the top side of said main body for the sitting of a person; a back cushion mounted on the top side of said main body adjacent to said seat and adapted to support the back of the person sitting on said seat; a damping unit installed in said main body and a damping resistance against the person sitting on said seat; wherein: said back cushion comprises a messaging mechanism adapted to massage the back of the person sitting on said seat.
 2. The stationary bicycle of claim 1, wherein said back cushion comprises: a frame base having a mounting portion and a bearing portion; a soft covering covered on said bearing portion definding a first enclosed chamber and a second enclosed chamber opposite the first enclosed chamber; a soft stuffing material stuffed in said first enclosed chamber; and the massaging mechanism is installed in the second enclosed chamber.
 3. The stationary bicycle of claim 2 wherein said back cushion further comprises a mounting structure adapted to hold said frame base on said main body between two alternative positions within 180°.
 4. The stationary bicycle of claim 3 wherein said mounting structure comprises a supporting tube fixedly provided at the top side of said main body adjacent to said seat, said supporting tube comprising an axial receiving hole adapted to receive the mounting portion of said frame base and two radial through holes aligned at two sides of said axial receiving hole, a pinhole transversely extended through the mounting portion of said frame base and inserted with the mounting portion of said frame base into the axial receiving hole of said supporting tube, and a lock pin inserted through the radial through holes of said supporting tube and said pinhole to secure said frame base to said supporting tube, said lock pin comprising a pull ring at one end thereof for pulling by hand.
 5. The stationary bicycle of claim 1 wherein said massaging mechanism comprises a power drive, said power drive having an output shaft, a pinion fixedly mounted on and rotated with the output shaft of said power drive motor, two massaging bars, said massaging bars each having a plurality of massaging pegs of different lengths raised around the periphery thereof, and two transmission gears respectively fixedly mounted on one end of each of said massaging bars and engaged with said pinion at two opposite sides.
 6. The stationary bicycle of claim 1 wherein said massaging mechanism comprises electronic vibrator means adapted to achieve a massaging effect by means of low frequencies. 